THE STUBBORN MULE (Der Bockerer)
Austria/Germany, 1980, 96 minutes, Colour.
Karl Merkatz, Ida Krottendorf, Georg Schuchter.
Directed by Franz Antel.
The Stubborn Mule is an excellent film from Austria. Austrian cinema has not been prolific in the '70s and 180s but definitely makes a mark with this film. It is an attempt to review the period of World War Two in the light of the Austrian experience. There is regret about collaboration and Hitler's easy presence in Austria (as well as reflections on his Austrian origins). The film shows the plight of the Jews, collaboration with the S.A. and the easy swaying of public opinion. With its central character of a genial butcher, it also shows the humorous capacity for survival (not without fear) and the attitudes of common sense which shows the ultra-serious Nazi views as ridiculous. The film is a very satisfying blend of the serious and the comic.
The acting is excellent but Karl Merkatz in the central role of Bockerer, the butcher, is excellent - one of those strikingly memorable performances. While the film covers familiar ground, it is fresh its insight into the Austrian experience and in the warmth and irony of its treatment.
1. An interesting and entertaining film? A moving film? A blend of the comic, the humane? Insight? Message - learning the lessons of the Austrian experience of the war?
2. The atmosphere of Austria and Vienna? The re-creation of period, the focus on the street and the butcher shop? The use of contemporary newsreels? The score?
3. The film as the work of the Austrian film industry in the '80s? A film of quality? The importance of the Austrian viewpoint: the Anschluss and its easy acceptance by the majority of citizens? Austrian response to pre-war Nazi propaganda, the Munich peace etc.? The beginnings of the war and Austrian involvement? The S.A., anti-Jewish feeling, ordinary collaboration? The contrast with the ordinary citizen in Bockerer (and audiences identifying with him and his attitudes)? The humiliation of the Jews and their expulsion? The experience of war and lack of food etc.? Refugees? The experience of the Russian front? The bombing of Vienna? Post-war recovery and the variety of reactions in the after-war years? Austria's role in the '30s, '40s, '50s? People, governments, nations? The impact for the Austrian audience of the '80s - memories and the present? The impact of the film for a universal audience?
4. The strength of the anti-Nazi point of the film? Criticism with which audiences are familiar? Ironic mockery through the central character? The condemnation of fascist regimes and methods? The films viewpoint of the war itself and the tragic experience of war? Explicit collaboration, the collaboration of acceptance and non-resistance? The tolerant viewpoint of the film-makers? Human identification, especially through sadness and humour?
5. The introduction to Bockerer and the ironies about his having the same birthday as Hitler? The film's using the parallel of two Austrians - the megalomaniac and his destruction contrasted with the ordinary citizen and his humane contribution to people's lives? His work and ordinariness, his love for his wife and yet his disgust with her collaboration, his fidelity to her? His love for his son and horror at his belonging to the S.A.? His friendship with the neighbours and serving them in the shop? The encounters with Schebesta? The policeman who remained on the beat throughout the war years? His friendship with Rosenblatt and Hartinger, the cards and the disruption of the card nights? His shock and Hansi in uniform, his behaviour - even to kicking his father in public? Hartinger and his wife's disdain of the Jews? The encounters with Rosenblatt in the street and his going to farewell him? A genial middle-aged man? A man of humour, humanity and common sense? The strength and warmth of Karl Merkatz’s performance?
6. The Austrian situation and the Anschluss? Austria becoming Ostermark? The initial mockery of the troops in talking about Austrian lack of resistance? The brainwashing by the Nazis? The hopes that there would be no war and yet the comments on Chamberlain and Munich? The pictures of the Fuhrer, the flags, the newsreels? So many seeing Hitler as a saviour and bending over backwards to acknowledge this? The judgments on the situations of 1938 and '39 - then, with the help of hindsight now?
7. The focus on the S.A. and their cruelty? Hansi and his intensity? The Jews being made to lick up the blood in the butcher shop, scrub the pavement? The humiliations? The riots and the smashing of the Jewish shops? Hansi and his violence towards his father? The confrontation with his father and Hermann? His letting them go? The brutality, the Gestapo investigations and threats of torture? The S.A. officer and his homosexual hold over Hansi? Hansi's clash with his father in the brothel? His deciding to take a stand? His reconciliation with Elizabeth and living with her? The station sequence and his being drafted, his farewell to Elizabeth, to his father and the reconciliation? The irony of the officer being a chauffeur to a French occupying officer at the end the war?
8. The character of Hansi - the background of his upbringing, brutality, rebelling? The test of experience and his changing? His love for Elizabeth? The pathos of his death and the newsreels of the Russian front? The attempt at reconciliation of his mother with Elizabeth and its failure in the restaurant after the funeral ceremony? Elizabeth's death at the end of the war? The child and its being the cause of reconciliation? The child as the new Austria, perennial hope?
9. The background of the aristocratic Viennese and their lifestyle, permitting Hitler's presence, their disdain. sharing the attitudes of war victory at the beginning? Cards, food, wealth? Anti-communist attitudes? Their finally being in the kitchen listening to B.B.C. news in danger of their lives? Elizabeth from this background?
10. Rosenblatt and his work as a lawyer, Jewish background? Friendship with Bockerer? The card games and Bockerer's wife and Hartinger disdaining him? The visa and his possibility of leaving Austria? Carrying the bucket and mop to save humiliation? The farewell at the station? The humour of his return as Montgomery Royce - and Bockerer meeting him again with the bucket and mop? The film's comment on the Jewish situation?
11. Hermann and the resistance. the meeting, the chase and his imprisonment in Dachau? His wife having to pay for his urn coming back to Vienna -and Bockerer's visit, leaving the money? His disgust at Hansi's betrayal?
12. Schebesta and his accepting of the Germans, being more loyal than the Germans, his deceiving the Blau family and robbing them, his fanatic presence during the war, his finally going mad - and looking like Hitler? His escape from the asylum and his appearing in Bockerer's sickroom and re-enacting the style of the Fuhrer? His being taken away? The ironic comment of Austrians like Schebesta so identifying with Hitler, their idol, that they went insane?
13. Background characters: the Blaus and their wanting to escape and yet being imprisoned, the Madam of the brothel and her advising her prostitutes to continue but change all the names of things - as did the whole of Austria? The shoppers, the shopping lines? The sequence of the hanging of the long flag? The professor and his sociological research? An atmosphere of authenticity of the street around Bockerer's shop?
14. The bombings and Bockerer's grief that Hartinger would be killed - and his humorous survival?
15. The end of the war and Bockerer's collapse, his illness and the visit by Schebesta as Hitler? His response to his grandson and the possibility of building a new world?
16. The film's comment on the Nazis and their power, Hitler as an Austrian and his rise to German power, his betraying his word? The Nuremberg laws and anti-Jewish feeling and practice? The taking of Paris - and the newsreels with Hitler in Paris? The interpretation of the German presence in Russia and their ultimate defeat?
17. Anti-Jewish? feeling laws, bigotry, riots?
18. An interesting story? Interesting characters? A film of insight and truth?
